BENJAMIN PRIEBE The Standard With the current lease of the Port Perry Marina from December 20, 2012 up for expiry at the end of the month, Scugog Council raised the question this week of whether to extend the lease to next year or not.

At the Scugog Township Council meeting on October 7, Mayor Chuck Mercier and councillors approved the extension of the lease on the Port Perry Marina until October 31, 2014. The signing of this ‘steady-as-she-goes’ contract means that the township will maintain its income from the marina, and be in a better position to begin improvements next year.

"I have noted that the Waterfront Steering Committee discussed this matter, their consensus was that the recommendation was in order," said Director of Community Services Don Gordon. "Some of the timelines associated with the waterfront project show that there is a lot of work to be done and we recommend that the Marina lease be approved so that the work can be guaranteed to be accomplished."

The extended lease will carry the same terms and conditions including adjustment, meaning that at the end of October, the current rental payments of $1,045.15 per month will increase to $1,957.80 per month until March 31, 2014. In April of 2014, the Port Perry Marina rent will be adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index, a measurement used to track inflation.

The continuation of this lease and its predicted increases means a steady income for the township, to the measure of approximately $19,633 in 2014.

A township staff report stated that it is highly unlikely at this point in the year that construction on phase two of the waterfront project will even begin by Oct. 31, 2014, due to the immense amount of research, documenting and paperwork that must be completed before a bid for a construction company is put out.

Scugog Township has decided to play it safe and ensure that they have plenty of time to work out the finer details before beginning construction.

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